Industrial agriculture is threatening to destroy essential Amazon rainforest and communities built on traditionalist, sustainable, forest-based livelihoods.
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Species at Risk
Amazon River Dolphin (EN), Giant Otter (EN), Black-faced Black Spider Monkey (EN), White-lipped Peccary (VU), Lowland Tapir (VU), Spix’s White-fronted Capuchin (VU), Blue-headed Macaw (VU)
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Carbon stored
445,245,095 mT *
*(metric tons of CO2 equivalents) -
Partner
Conservación Amazónica
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2,000,000 Proposed Acres Conserved by
Designation
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Project Cost: $3,319,081
2,000,000
Industrial agriculture is threatening to destroy essential Amazon rainforest and communities built on traditionalist, sustainable, forest-based livelihoods.
-
Species at Risk
Amazon River Dolphin (EN), Giant Otter (EN), Black-faced Black Spider Monkey (EN), White-lipped Peccary (VU), Lowland Tapir (VU), Spix’s White-fronted Capuchin (VU), Blue-headed Macaw (VU)
-
Carbon stored
445,245,095 mT *
*(metric tons of CO2 equivalents) -
Partner
Conservación Amazónica
-
2,000,000 Proposed Acres Conserved by
Designation
-
Project Cost: £2,634,191
2,000,000
Did you know?
of the Bolivian Amazon is still forested
In the Amazon region of eastern Bolivia, over 92% of the land—about 14.3 million acres—is still forested. Alarmingly, Bolivia had the second-highest rate of primary forest loss in 2023 (after Brazil) of all the Amazon countries, and deforestation here is increasing. The Pando department (state) is a prime target for industrial agriculture that aims to transform biodiverse Amazon rainforest into lucrative cattle pastures and soy farms to feed the cattle—releasing large amounts of carbon and mirroring the tragedy taking place in Brazil.
Only about 20% of Pando is currently conserved. An intact expanse of rainforest northeast of the 1.84-million-acre Manuripi Heath Amazonian National Wildlife Reserve is in urgent need of protection. It runs along the Madre de Dios River and is home to threatened Amazon River Dolphin, Giant Otter, White-lipped Peccary, Lowland Tapir, and Black-faced Black Spider Monkey.
Rainforest Trust and our partner, Conservación Amazónica, supported the establishment of two Municipal Protected Areas in Pando, and two additional protected areas are planned, for a total of 2 million acres. The project will safeguard these threatened species and the rainforest that serves traditionalist communities living here who depend upon harvesting Brazil nuts and acai berries.
Meet Threatened Species of the Bolivian Amazon
Giant Otters, by Zaruba Ondrej
Jaguar, by Jeffrey Zack
Lowland Tapir or South American Tapir, by PhotocechCZ
White-lipped Peccary, by Wildnerdpix
Forest in the project area, courtesy Conservación Amazónica
Cougar, courtesy Conservación Amazónica
Amazon River Dolphin, also known as the Boto or Pink Dolphin, by Coulanges
Reduce Human-Wildlife Conflict Through Conservation
Conflicts between humans and wildlife have subjected Giant Otter, Amazon River Dolphin, and Jaguar to hunting pressure. The Departmental Alliance for Jaguar Conservation has been created to diminish conflicts along a strengthened corridor between Jaguar conservation units in Pando. Habitat degradation is also impacting these threatened species, including populations of Black-faced Black Spider Monkeys that are now found only here in the western area of the Amazon.
Other threatened species in the project area include Vulnerable Blue-headed Macaw, Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo, and Harpy’s Eagle.
Save Intact Bolivian Amazon Rainforest for Wildlife and Livelihoods
The new Municipal Protected Areas will be linked to the network of formal conservation areas in Pando, increasing capacity for ongoing management, reducing threats, and improving the quality of life of traditionalist families. Protecting the rainforest will allow sustainable harvests of Brazil nuts and acai berries to continue. Bolivia is the largest producer of Brazil nuts in the world, and the second-largest producer of acai berries in South America. These forest products only grow in healthy, mature forests like those in Pando, not plantations, and they provide about 80% of family income in Pando.
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Conservation work is critical, challenging, and can be costly. We work hard to ensure we raise only the funds needed for each project. In the rare case we raise more money than needed or a project comes in under budget, excess monies will be transferred to the Conservation Action Fund. This fund supports our important conservation work throughout the tropics.
Project Modifications
Rainforest Trust conducts extensive research and due diligence on each of the projects that we support, so that once a project is offered for public support we believe it will succeed. We work closely with our project implementers, offer support, and regularly monitor their progress. Given the nature of the work, projects may not progress exactly as intended and may be unable to meet all objectives. To respond dynamically to the needs of our project implementers and the realities of the landscapes in which they operate, Rainforest Trust expressly reserves the right to modify a project as it deems necessary, provided that donor intent is honored by ensuring that that the original project objectives are diligently pursued and that project funds continue to benefit the landscape and species identified in the project overview. Project modifications that we may need to make in certain circumstances include the specific project implementer, the size of the landscape to be protected, the type of protection to be afforded to the landscape, and the development of sustainability mechanisms.
Partnering to Save Rainforest
Our partners’ ability to work with their governments and build strong connections with local communities ensures the successful implementation of our projects.
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